HDVR-150 Rear-View Mirror Dash Cam Review

A Car Video Recorder In Stealth Design

Looking for a dashboard camera that doesn't stick out from the windshield like a sore thumb? Here's a stylish model for you that adapts perfectly to any car's interior because it camouflages as a rear-view mirror.

Actually, it doesn't just camouflage as one, it is a rear-view mirror that comes with a built-in 2.4 inch TFT screen and a camera lens on the back. It clips right on your existing rear-view mirror. Tuck the cable away around your windshield, and your dash cam is virtually invisible to a casual onlooker.

After the famous meteor strike in Russia, I started looking into dash cams because I realized just how useful they are for safety, but also for fun.. no matter whether you live in Russia or anywhere else around the globe. I found various models that I like, but the HDVR-150 is definitely my top choice for a reasonable quality, mid-price camera. Why? I just love its low-key, inconspicious design!

All images by Amazon. Used by permission.

HDVR-180 is the latest version of ABEO's popular rear-view mirror dash cams

NEW: HDVR-180 - Better Video Resolution & GPS

A newer version of this camera came out in late 2013 that is capable of recording at Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels at 30fps), or you can record at 1024x720 pixels with a frame rate of 60 frames per second.

It's called HDVR-180, and there is also a GPS capable variant, the HDVR-180C. Sound good? Go ahead and read all about it here!

Mirror Dash Cam Installed

How The HDVR-150 Will Look In Your Car

Looks Like A Regular Rear-View Mirror

This is how the HDVR-150 looks from the inside of a car. From this angle, it doesn't look like a dashboard camera at all.

I think it's a great idea to integrate the dash cam screen in the rear-view mirror, because a rear-view mirror is present in all cars and it doesn't attract any attention.

Front View

From the front, the HDVR-150 looks like this. The mirror is a bit wider on the side where the camera is, and if you come up close you can clearly see its lens.

However, for someone casually looking on from a distance, it would be hard to tell that there is a camera at all, unless they are familiar with this model and specifically looking for a lens on the back of the rear-view mirror.

Video Quality Sample

Check out this video feed of the HDVR-150 in action during day- and nighttime. As you can see, video quality is pretty decent even under advers conditions like rain or poor lighting. License plates are clearly visible when close.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to set Youtube playback quality to 720p using the little cog wheel icon below the video! Otherwise you won't see the resolution that the camera actually records at.

Technical Details

HDVR-150 Technical Details

Features:

- Auto on/off with engine (depends on cigarette lighter power)

- Starts recording within 5 seconds of starting the vehicle

- Loop recording

- G-sensor

- Parking mode

- Video resolution: 1024x720 (30 fps)

- View angle: 120Â° , gets the whole road in front of your car

- Operating temperature: -10 to +60Â° C / 14 to 140Â° F

- Weight: 320g / 11.3 ounces

- Storage media: SD/SDHC up to 32 GB

- Storage capacity: 5 hours at 720p with a 32GB SD card

- Built-in 2.4" TFT LCD (can be switched off)

- Audio recording (can be switched off)

- Instant playback

- Data and time stamp

Drawbacks:

- No GPS

- The 1080p upgrade runs with a frame rate of 15fps (clearer picture but bumpy video)

Installing the HDVR-150 - And Where To Put The Power Cable

HDVT-150 cable installation

To install the HDVR-150, you just clip it onto the rear-view mirror - simple as that.

The power cable that comes with the camera is long enough to install it around the windshield, run it below the glove compartment, and plug it in to the cigarette lighter.

Check if your cigarette lighter has power when the enginge is off. If it does, you will either need to get this reconfigured (check with your car vendor), or you will need to unplug your camera every time you park the car in order to avoid battery drainage.

The power cable can also be unplugged at the camera's end, so it's easy to take the camera with you without having to uninstall the whole cable.

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

This is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)

Google AdSense Host API

This service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

This is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Facebook Login

You can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Maven

This supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)

We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.

Conversion Tracking Pixels

We may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.

Statistics

Author Google Analytics

This is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)

Comscore

ComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)

Amazon Tracking Pixel

Some articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)